With just four months left in her term as US senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who pioneered many efforts to improve and strengthen Sheppard Air Force Base, witnessed the completion of one last project today.

Department of Defense officials say health care costs for the military have far outpaced inflation ....
So the DOD's budget proposal recommends making military retirees pay more for their healthcare benefits.
Katie Crosbie joins us now with more.
Ann, the DOD says the health care proposals would not affect active duty personnel or their families ...
But as you can imagine, this is getting a lot of attention from
retirees who could be impacted, if Congress approves this
recommendation.

The Department of Defense has submitted its budget request to Congress ...
And the proposal includes asking Congress to approve another round of Base Realignment and Closures -- or BRAC.
Katie Crosbie joins us now -- and Katie, we know the last BRAC in 2005 had a huge impact on Sheppard.
It sure did, Darrell ...
The last BRAC cuts moved the medical group to San Antonio -- meaning
Sheppard lost about 400 instructors and seven thousand students
annually.
That's why many members of the Sheppard Military Affairs Committee
-- or SMAC -- say they're concerned about this possibility.

We've heard speculation about how budget cuts will impact the military -- and, specifically, Sheppard Air Force Base.
And this afternoon, 13th District Congressman Mac Thornberry
addressed the Sheppard Military Affairs Committee to share his thoughts.
Katie Crosbie was there and joins us now with more.
Darrell, it was an hour-long meeting that covered a wide range of
security concerns, defense strategies, and the federal budget.
Congressman Thornberry said Congress has spent more than 200 million
dollars in construction projects at Sheppard during the past ten years
...
He says it will become more difficult to find that kind of funding with a tighter budget.
And Rep. Thornberry said he's worried that this administration is putting less of an emphasis on NATO.
Sheppard's 82nd Training Wing Commander, General Darryl Burke, said
he's confident that Sheppard will be able to withstand any cuts without
hurting the mission.
Both pointed to ENJJPT (Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training Program)'s importance - now, more than ever.